Duke Outlasted by North Carolina in Five

Friday, November 26

Durham, N.C.

6:30 PM

Duke University

16-13,7-11ACC

North Carolina

21-8,10-8ACC

North Carolina

Duke

Duke Outlasted by North Carolina in Five

11/26/2021 11:14:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

DURHAM – Despite a hard-fought battle, the Duke volleyball team was outlasted in five sets by North Carolina, 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 21-25, 15-9), Friday evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Blue Devils concluded its regular season 16-13 overall and 7-11 in the ACC.

Duke was led offensively by Gracie Johnson with a career-high 23 kills and just four errors to hit .322 percent for the match. Ade Owokoniran tallied 14 on her Senior Night as the Blue Devils hit .228 percent. Setter Camille Nazor dished 34 assists while senior libero Mackenzie Cole picked up 20 digs, her 23rd game throughout her Duke career with 20 or more digs. Junior Lizzie Fleming led the blocking corps with eight blocks.

The Tar Heels jumped out to a 1-0 lead as they hit .429 percent to open the match as freshman Mabrey Shaffmaster recorded five kills on no errors to hit .625.

Johnson recorded consecutive aces to give Duke a 16-13 lead in the second before rookie Rachel Richardson came off the bench for the first time at a crucial point in the set. Richardson registered an ace to give the Blue Devils a two-point advantage (23-21) as the Tar Heels took their final timeout of the frame. North Carolina answered, but Owokoniran secured back-to-back kills from Nazor to seal the set.

Fleming tallied her first solo block of the match (8-9) but a 3-0 North Carolina run brought us to the media with the Tar Heels on top. Head coach Joe Sagula's squad held a slight 17-16 lead as Duke used its final timeout of the set. Duke bounced back with a 5-0 run as Nazor tallied two aces, but a Shaffmaster kill gave the Tar Heels a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth.

Duke hit an impressive .378 percent in the fourth as Johnson recorded eight kills and just one error to keep the Tar Heels on their heels.

North Carolina came out in the fifth set with a .526 clip and held a majority of the momentum in the final frame to capture the victory.

The Tar Heels were led by Shaffmaster with 27 kills as the team hit .296 percent while setter Meghan Neelon dished 53 assists.

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